Ministers pay visits and don’t work during COP summits: Dr Ainun Nishat

BRAC University's Professor Emeritus Dr Ainun Nishat said ministers go to annual COP events only to visit places and not do their jobs for combatting climate change with many not even understanding their tasks.

Around 70 meetings are held at a UN climate summit, but Bangladeshi ministers attend at most six of these. The politicisation of project planning plays a role in this apathy during COP events. Climate funds are allocated for places preferred by certain ministers and lawmakers and not on the basis of climate needs, he added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her special envoy on climate change Saber Hossain Chowdhury are among a handful of people in the government with sound knowledge of climate change. However, the rest of the government officials and ministers are falling far behind global peers, he pointed out.

Dr Ainun Nishat was addressing an event on Bangladeshi expectations from and challenges in dealing with the last COP28. The event was held on 10 January at PKSF Bhaban, Agargaon in the capital.

Ainun Nishat recalled his experience in meeting a minister during the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, UK. The minister visited his nephew's house in London for three days before landing in Glasgow and was about to set off again hours later to stay at his cousin's place in Brimingham, he told Ainun.

Dr Ainun attributed the government's poor COP record to ill-preparedness for graduation from the least developed country bracket, poor feedback and implementation procedures following COP attendance by ministers, shortage of negotiation skill for procuring climate funds from wealthy countries and outdated project reporting standards, among others.

Dr Ainun sought apologies from the audience for failing to ensure proper use of the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund despite being one of its trustees amid heavy politicisation of fund allocation decisions. 

PKSF Chairman Dr M Khairul Hossain, Managing Director Dr Nomita Halder, Deputy Managing Director Dr Fazle Rabbi Sadeque Ahmed also spoke at the event.

Dr M Khairul Hossain said, instead of waiting for assistance from international communities, the government of Bangladesh has formulated the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan, the National Adaptation Plan and the National Adaptation Program of Action to deal with the growing effects of climate change. 

The implementation of these plans is currently underway. In recognition of such courageous and effective initiatives, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was awarded the "Asia Climate Mobility Champion Leader Award" at the COP28 conference.

Although Bangladesh is not responsible for climate change, the country is incurring losses equal to $4.5-5 billion every year, added Dr Hossain. 

PKSF is implementing various activities to increase the coping capability of those living in climate-vulnerable regions, particularly of the poor. PKSF has established an 'Environment and Climate Change Unit' to effectively implement these activities.

A 'Knowledge Hub', with extensive data and other documents on climate change, was launched at this event.